Fabulous fuchsia, orange construction fencing & teal tutu's

Caribana 2007 - the Good, Bad & Ugly

~Good~:
+ We both played in different sections in Saldenah for the first time this year due to wanting different things in a costume and we are both happy with the friendly, professional & fun attitude of our section leaders/designers. It started off well with easy registration, then early costume pick-up was a pleasant surprise, and it ended with an excellent on de road experience. Trini-in-Toronto is especially pleased he got fed and lots of chaser on de road by Christine. I was impressed that Bryant's folks made home cooked Trini food, served us rum & cokes, and applied glitter. It's these simple & easy, yet important things that make you feel a special kind of "all-inclusiveness". Nice treatment all around.

+ We made it to the end of the parade route again this year without stormers. In years past, this was not always possible, but being in the top 3 on de road has an advantage in this very essential way. From playing mas in Trinidad this year, I experienced what it should be like - masqueraders playing mas, no stormers. No young teen guys grabbing at you, no massive crush of people ramming in, jumping in with your band and putting a damper on the event.
+ A costume that really stood out this year was Carnival Nationz' Ariel. Vibrant colour, unique design, teasing tutu. I hope to see and get pictures of more bands costumes in Hamilton.

Share photo

-Bad-:
- I love my headpieces, and feel they can really be the piece de resistance to the overall costume. It's part of the routine to getting ready, the very last thing to go on is the headpiece, and POW!!, I'm ready to play mas. I keep them again for Hamilton, then proudly display them in my Caribana room. So I was disappointed this year that my headpiece could not stay on & that I had to hold it up (Buublenut too).

holding on

- Three bands didn't get to parade. Due to delays, newbies Tribal Knights, Borokeete, and D'Regulars didn't make it past the judges stage before 6:00 (the deadline), so they were stopped from going further and didn't get to the parade route. Tribal Knights did win first place in the B category Band of the Year, and Borokeete took second place, but still, for masqueraders it's not about winning, it's about the road, which they didn't get to. Imagine their long wait at the CNE to jump & wave & wine, and then after a mere minute before the judges, it's all over & they are not permitted to jam down de road. Guest band D'Regulars who don't compete, were quite rightly furious over the money spent to be there, all for nothing.


!Ugly!:
:( The 25 year-old who had to have his leg amputated because he jumped over a barricade to get in with a band, tried to jump on a truck, and it rolled over his leg. Security, or lack of security has long been a problem at Caribana. There is never enough security patrolling the trucks to prevent such an accident. The powers that be must take security as the serious issue that it is, and make the changes necessary to make Caribana safer.

:( Jamaal Maglorie's Toronto Revellers won band of the year, which was not a surprise - their hott costumes were all designed alike and therefore represented their theme well. But I'm sure they didn't have that orange construction styled fencing wrapped around their masqueraders while they crossed the judges, because otherwise, the judges certainly would have asked wha de ass does an orange barrier have to do with Viva Las Vegas? It was an eye sore to see that coming down de road after us, I did a double take, because Caribana is after all a parade, how the spectators going to see your sexy costumes through that bright orange plastic? I understand this was their security measure, and it was to keep the stormers out... but it was visually distracting & ugly, and not fitting for a parade.

The Caribbean Camera photo

Ah, so this is what Toronto Revellers looked like on de road... I wouldn't know, I didn't get to see them over all that orange fencing.

____________

What's fantastic about Caribana season is it's not all over on August 4 - you do get a last lap at Hamilton Carnival August 11. http://www.hamiltoncarnival.com/ Hamilton is a much different vibe, more relaxed, and no stress because there is no judging, the work is done. As a section leader told me, Caribana is work time, but Hamilton is time for fun. It's smaller, but it's cozier... no crush of people, and you see and jam with the same people every year. The spectators in Hamilton treat it as the parade it is - masqueraders really are on display. Then everyone can join in (pay admission) at the end of the route inside the park. That's something Caribana should seriously look into - flipping the route: start at the end, and end up at the CNE. But that's another post.

So we look forward to jamming down de road again on Saturday, hope to see you there!